Employee Spotlight: Get to Know the Team
Serena Maki
Lead Trainer
Meet Serena Maki, Lead Trainer, a 2015 addition to the Blue Heron Environmental team with more than 25 years of experience in environmental compliance, toxicity laboratory work, and environmental training across Ontario.
Serena’s career spans roles in mining operations, consulting, and environmental laboratories, where she has developed and delivered compliance programs, led Environmental Management System initiatives, and supported water, sewage, and mine effluent treatment operations. Her extensive background includes field monitoring, regulatory interpretation, ISO 14001 auditing, emergency response, and the management of large-scale environmental budgets.
At Blue Heron, Serena applies her expertise to train and mentor environmental professionals, Indigenous communities, and industry partners—helping build capacity and strengthen environmental stewardship across the region.
We asked Serena to answer a few questions to help our clients get to know her better.
We continue to share the stories of the remarkable additions to our hard-working team at Blue Heron Environmental (BHE). In the past few years, we’ve hired a number of new professionals to help reach new heights for our business.
To showcase the people who make up Blue Heron, we sat down with team members to ask them a few questions about their professional career — and a few personal ones too.
#mining #forestry #biophysical #compliance #environment #teambuilding #Sudbury #Redlake #TBay #ThunderBay #Timmins #Ontario
HOW DID YOU FIRST LEARN ABOUT BLUE HERON ENVIRONMENTAL?
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING A Lead Trainer?
I love it when participants engage in our training with their experiences, and with other participants.
WHAT IS ONE MYTH ABOUT BEING A Lead Trainer THAT YOU’D LIKE TO CLEAR UP?
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?
IF YOU COULD PICK UP ANY NEW SKILL IN AN INSTANT, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
GOT ANY FAVORITE QUOTES?
“It takes all kinds of people to make this world go around.”
- Mabel Kvaltin
WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO IN THE NEXT YEAR THAT YOU’VE NEVER DONE BEFORE?
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED?
Upcoming Training Events
How do we go about pursuing a concern?
Community concerns about development projects are often rooted in how land is used and valued. In this Phone-A-Friend feature, we highlight how Brad Cole supports Indigenous communities in communicating environmental site concerns, strengthening consultation processes, and establishing practical, long-term protocols for engagement.
We’re Speaking at CANECT26
Blue Heron Environmental is proud to be part of CANECT 2026 in Vaughan, Ontario, with team members leading two in-person courses: 1B – Environmental Compliance for the Construction Industry on April 28 and 3A – Environmental Compliance for Water and Wastewater on April 30.
BHE Spotlight: Natalie Bryar
Join us in welcoming Natalie Bryar, Project Manager at Blue Heron Environmental.
Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biological Sciences from the University of Guelph and brings over 15 years of experience in regulated industries, including mining and manufacturing. Her background spans environmental compliance, permitting, project management, and stakeholder engagement.
At Blue Heron, Natalie supports environmental management systems, coordinates permitting initiatives, and works closely with regulators and project teams to help clients meet compliance requirements with clarity and confidence.